I initially set out to find a credible fantasy sleeper from all 32 teams. When that proved slightly too difficult in practice, I amended it to "sleepers and spoilers." Most teams have an under-the-radar pick who could become a genuine fantasy option in 2026. For those that don't, I selected some players who could steal fantasy joy (looking at you Keenan Allen). I hope you enjoy the article as we embark on our final weekend of drafting.
Brissett enters the year as the QB30 by ADP. No one wants to take the quarterback who is "going to get benched," but what if he never does? Brissett averaged 18.9 fantasy points per game during his 12 starts last season (via ESPN's default fantasy scoring). That was more than Caleb Williams, Dak Prescott and Justin Herbert. He has one of the league's deepest, most versatile skill corps, and a new McVay and Shanny disciple play-calling head coach. The Cardinals' defense remains one of the worst in the league. Even if he does eventually get benched for "project" Carson Beck, it's difficult to envision Brissett finding himself outside the top 24 in superflex for however long he holds down the fort in the desert.
"Define receiver depth chart" was GM Ian Cunningham's imaginary parry to my question "so … who is on the receiver depth chart behind Drake London?" There is decrepit veteran Jahan Dotson then third-round rookie Branch. Although he's a pint-sized 5-foot-9, Branch led the SEC with 81 receptions last season. Yes, many of those catches were pure gadget touches, but those are going to be in strong demand for this undermanned offense. There are enough targets for the taking in Atlanta that Branch could carve out some last-gasp WR5 appeal behind London and Kyle Pitts.
The clear-cut star of Ravens training camp — ask the media or his own teammates — Lane was an imperfect prospect who has apparently had a perfect summer. Now, this wouldn't be the first time a supposedly perfect summer failed to result in fantasy points, but Lane is certainly in the right place at the right time as a third-round rookie in an offense with targets for the taking and a buzzed-about new play-caller. Maybe he ends up the next Isaac TesLaa as a highlights machine who nevertheless struggles to make regular contributions, but this is not the Lions' skill corps. The Ravens have every reason to give Lane all the early run he can handle and see what he's made of.
An injury-abbreviated summer made fourth-rounder Bell undraftable, but he is still a source of long-term intrigue in this shallow skill corps. Keon Coleman and Josh Palmer are not going to be standing in anyone's way. It's all about whether UConn-product Bell can adjust to the big leagues in time to make a 2026 impact. The August answer was "no," but his all-around receiving skill-set means he could get up to speed faster than we are expecting. Bell belongs on watch lists.
Jonathon Brooks or Jalen Coker would qualify here if it were the "old days" where the average drafter did not know the life story of every fringe fantasy prospect, but it is decidedly not the old days. Coker is a household fantasy name for engaged players, while Brooks spent the summer rocketing up draftboards. That leaves late-August signing Waller as one of the only potential sources of value goodness in this low-upside attack. There is essentially no chance 33-year-old Waller appears in all 17 games — or maybe even 10 — but he proved last year that he's still a play-making threat down the seam when he's on the field. Waller is not so much a "sleeper" as a fantasy role player who could turn in a few critical performances in September and October.
The Bears don't have the receiver depth you might think, and things could get ugly quickly if either Luther Burden III or Rome Odunze miss time with injury. Enter No. 69 overall pick Roush, who stands in at a mountainous 6-foot-6. Although Roush will undoubtedly begin his career attempting to block, he is coming off back-to-back 40-plus reception seasons at Stanford, with the second producing a 49/545/2 line. That's real production for a seam stretcher, especially one as large as Roush. He was curiously never a red-zone weapon for the Cardinal, but Bears coach Ben Johnson could be just the man to bring out his full potential.
Laid low by injury for the better part of two years, All is finally healthy. With the Bengals quietly amongst the league leaders in two-tight end sets last season — perhaps because of their shaky receiver depth behind stars Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — All could be on the field much more than fantasy managers anticipate. This, after he caught 20 passes in nine games as a 2024 rookie. Also lining up as a "quasi fullback" this summer, All has multiple avenues to get on the field. When you're on the field with Joe Burrow, you tend to score fantasy points.
The No. 39 overall pick is not a "sleeper" in the conventional sense, but there has been approximately 1/10 the ink devoted to Boston as there has been to KC Concepcion, who went "just" 15 picks earlier. "Just" because there is a material difference between a "legit" first-rounder and even an early Day 2 selection, but a top-40 pick is a top-40 pick. It's true that Concepcion's short-area game will likely translate better to whatever it is the Browns are attempting to do with Deshaun Watson under center, but Boston is one of just many young Browns who should be given ample runway to try to make a difference for this woebegone franchise. And when he's on the field, it will be as a 6-foot-4 boundary target who could make some big plays down the field and in the red zone.
Longtime listeners of the Rotoworld Football Show will chuckle at this one. We, uhh, maybe talked about Demercado a little too much before the Chiefs drafted Emmett Johnson. But we were never wrong, only early. Soundly beaten out for third-down duties by Johnson in K.C., Demercado is now with a team that could badly use a pass-catching back. Javonte Williams isn't it. Neither is Malik Davis. Still most famous for his touchdown that wasn't, Demercado nevertheless has some play-making juice. He has the makings of a potentially unsung PPR bench option.
Lost in the shuffle because of the Broncos' Jaylen Waddle splash, there have been signs 2025 third-rounder Bryant could perhaps make a run at No. 2 receiver status. Even if that's not the most likely outcome, Bryant seems to be the clear No. 3 behind Waddle and Courtland Sutton. Productive down the stretch last season, Bryant drew consistent camp praise from both the coaching staff and media. Barely even a WR6 in summer fantasy drafts, Bryant looks more like a WR4/5 who could occasionally hit even 12-team league starting lineups.
With Isiah Pacheco making yet another visit to injured reserve, second-year pro Saylors is apparently Jahmyr Gibbs' backup to begin the season. Even as the nominal No. 2 running back in what might be the league's best offense, you can't justify using a 12-team league flier on Saylors. He's too unknown, and there would undoubtedly be a committee in the event of a Gibbs injury. But the Lions appear to have literally no other choice but to employ Saylors as their breather back, and even if he's guaranteed committee status were Gibbs to miss time, he would at least be a member of it. Stranger things have happened than "Jacob Saylors" becoming fantasy relevant.
All the post-Josh Jacobs attention is focused on hype merchant MarShawn Lloyd and trade acquisition Kaleb Johnson, but it's fourth-year pro Brooks who has the most career touches. I'm not going to sit here and claim they have been good touches, but Brooks is the "system knower" here, a talismanic power that can never be overlooked in "real life" football. Free of ADP and expectations, Brooks is the definition of a zero-risk flier.
The less-accomplished of the Texans' "Iowa State twins," Noel is now on the spot after fellow former Cyclone Jayden Higgins was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Although most fantasy managers have slotted trade acquisition Kayshon Boutte in to the Texans' No. 2 spot following Higgins' injury, it could just as easily be Noel. That's if he gets healthy, of course. Noel spent most of the summer battling hamstring and finger issues. If he's out there, Noel could be a potentially lucrative slot compiler between the mountainous outside duo of Boutte and Nico Collins.
No, Keenan Allen is not a "fantasy sleeper." If you have played the game at any point during the past 15 years, you have rostered him. "I'll bet you five you're not alive if you don't know his name," so on and so forth. But he sure could spoil the big plans we have for Josh Downs, as well as once again carve out some zombified WR4/5 value of his own. You might be afraid of getting laughed at if you select Allen at some point in the next seven days, but he has tended to be a "last laugh" kind of pick as fantasy players continue to lose money betting on his downfall.
With endless ink spilled on Bhayshul Tuten vs. Chris Rodriguez Jr., much less was said about second-year seventh-rounder Allen, due in part to the fact he missed half of camp with a soft-tissue injury. Updates have been few and far between, but he has avoided injured reserve to begin the season. That means he is expected back some time in September. Whenever Allen makes his 2026 debut — which could be as early as Week 1 — it could be as a pass-catching back with more targets than anyone was expecting or projecting.
The Chiefs said they were "shocked" Johnson fell to the fifth round — where they traded up for him — and have not stopped hyping the rookie back since. The recipient of glowing praise all training camp, Johnson ended up easily beating out veteran Emari Demercado for No. 2 status behind Kenneth Walker III. Although KWIII threatens to absorb all three downs for himself, there are signs the Chiefs would prefer for this to be a two-man backfield, with someone like Johnson handling perhaps 25-30 percent of the snaps. He should start on third downs, giving him an entry way to 12-team league relevance.
With one of the weakest receiver corps in recent memory — though arguably not even the weakest this season thanks to the Dolphins — it stands to reason former No. 35 overall pick Mayer gets a chance to shine in two-tight ends sets. Health has been an ongoing bugaboo for 25-year-old Mayer — he has never appeared in more than 14 contests — but like Greg Dulcich in Miami, he has a reasonably straightforward path to a "surprising" total of 40-plus receptions.
Fifth-year pro Kolar was given $17 million guaranteed in free agency but has caught just 30 career passes. That would seem to foreclose any "breakout" or "spoiler" potential. Not so fast says … literally everything Jim Harbaugh has said this summer? It's no secret Harbs is smitten with his seam giant. Now we just need to figure out if he's actually going to create fantasy value of his own or simply kneecap Oronde Gadsden's. My guess is the latter.
To many who talk the game for a living, Ferguson is not a sleeper, but a way of life. The No. 46 overall pick of last year's draft, Ferguson was brought along slowly but tended to leave an impression any time he touched the ball in 2025. Working primarily down the field, he turned his 11 catches into a ridiculous 231 yards and three scores. Now the Rams are reportedly prepared to expand his route tree and increase his targets. We don't doubt it, but we also know Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson and rookie Max Klare are all there. To say nothing of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Even if Sean McVay remains committed to jamming as many tight ends on to the field as possible, Ferguson is still going to have to turn a relative little in to a lot in real terms. His big-play threat makes him worth the flier. Just know that's what it is.
The Dolphins have a trio of rookie wideouts who could end up qualifying for sleeper status, but it's blast-from-the-fantasy-past Dulcich who has the best overall case. Although he nearly achieved TE2 status in summer best ball drafts, he has struggled to crack the top 30 on more "casual" services. Close to out of the league before being respawned by a desperate Mike McDaniel down the stretch last season, Dulcich somehow survived the offseason as the Dolphins' most experienced pass catcher save for Cowboys castoff Jalen Tolbert. 50 receptions is well within the range of outcomes, which would have placed top 20 amongst tight ends in 2025. Dulcich won't win leagues, but he could win second FLEX spots.
This one is as much about the players in front of him as the player himself. Aaron Jones is out of gas. It's unclear if Jordan Mason ever even filled his tank. For his part, sixth-rounder Claiborne is a genuine "lightning" back, one with 4.37 speed. Not that he's an early-down zero. He rushed for over 900 yards each of the past two years at Wake Forest. Jones himself has called Claiborne "special." Players say a lot of things, but Claiborne is a Day 3 rookie who could actually play, and play early.
The Pats evidently had enough faith in second-year pro Williams to trade Kayshon Boutte. Not that the move was about Williams. The 2025 third-rounder caught only 10 rookie passes, but he turned them in to an eye-popping 209 yards and three scores. That was with Boutte and Mack Hollins "clearing space" and occupying defensive attention. Now it will be A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. The Pats want to open up their offense. Williams spent the entire preseason running right by the defense . He could become a Marquez Valdes-Scantling-style role player.
Lance is much closer to our traditional definition of "sleeper" in that even more engaged re-draft players have probably never heard his name. Trey's brother, Lance enters the league as the No. 136 overall pick out of FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. Extremely productive for the "Bison," Lance has earned Christian Watson comparisons as he pairs a 6-foot-3, 204-pound frame with 4.34 speed. (Watson also attended NDSU.) In theory the kind of player who "just needs to get on the field," Lance should be there now with Jordyn Tyson out for the better part of two months with a hamstring injury. Lance doesn't profile as a league-winning pick or anything close to it, but he could be a waiver wire difference maker once byes and injuries set in.
Fields put in a legit five years in college, spending four seasons at UVA before his "super senior" victory lap at Notre Dame. He was never particularly fast (4.61) or explosive, but he was a contested catch and box-out artist thanks to his 6-foot-4 frame. Fields seemingly easily cleared the field behind Mailk Nabers in Giants camp, earning the No. 2 receiver job. He's unlikely to be the No. 2 pass catcher — that's Isaiah Likely — but any No. 2 job comes with a production baseline that should at least result in 14-team league value.
Mitchell was hype-boosted all training camp by the Jets powers that be, but not fantasy drafters. He barely cracked the top 70 wideouts on Underdog and was outside the top 70 on Yahoo. This is despite being a big-play threat who appears to have run away with his team's No. 2 receiver job. Mitchell's downside tends to render itself in vivid, high definition detail, but he's an ideal WR5/6 in that he could potentially flip matchups on only 3-4 targets if you are forced to start him during someone else's bye or injury absence.
Wicks isn't just the Eagles' clear-cut WR3, he's apparently the WR2 to begin the season . That is purely a temporary accommodation as Makai Lemon gets up to speed after missing most of training camp with a hamstring injury, but this is an Eagles skill corps quietly starved for veteran targets. A.J. Brown is gone, Dallas Goedert is aging out, etc. We know Wicks can't catch. What we will presuppose today is… what if he does? If Wicks can ever learn to start plays, we know he has the ability to finish them.
Beyond anything else, Bernard is a top-50 skill player. Those will always be worth a re-draft look, even in shallower 12-team leagues. Beyond that, Bernard is a rugged short-area dominator who in theory pairs well with Aaron Rodgers' ever-increasing reliance on getting the ball out quickly and crisply. He won't be winning any target competitions with Michael Pittman Jr., but Bernard should be the Steelers' WR3 right off the bat, and he has the kind of skill-set that could make some PPR noise.
Although unloved by draftniks, Black was the third back off the board in April's admittedly unimpressive RB draft class. It might have been Chat GPT telling the 49ers to take him , but take him they did, and injuries have now left him as the clear-cut backup to the most famously "injury prone" star player of our times, Christian McCaffrey. CMC, of course, stays healthy much more often than he's given credit for, but it's not all in our minds. McCaffrey is also now elderly in running back years and losing efficiency. Black could even get some standalone work in addition to contingency value. He's a strong bench stash to begin the season.
Rashid Shaheed and AJ Barner are both potential down-the-board difference-makers, as well, but it''s Holani who enters the season with the lowest draft capital. Managers simply never bought in to the idea he could have a meaningful piece of the Seahawks' pre-Zach Charbonnet pie. That could indeed end up the case, but ESPN's Brady Henderson has projected a "heavy dose" of last year's No. 3 back to begin the year. The Seahawks gave first-rounder Jadarian Price a summer crash course in the finer points of the game, though those points become rather large once the regular season lights come on. Although his value will never be that of a "regular" 12-team league starter, Holani could quickly become appealing if you have more than 12 teams or two-plus FLEX spots.
Hurst has drawn steady "film bro" praise but is essentially off the radar in fantasy, going as the WR80 even in Underdog's large-field tournaments. That might change after GM Jason Licht said the third-rounder has gone from a "down the road"-type contributor to someone the Bucs now expect to make a 2026 impact. A boundary threat for a team that just let one of the best boundary receivers of the past 20 years depart in free agency, Hurst has an immediate path to playing time behind Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin. Even if he is confined to rotating snaps with Jalen McMillan to begin the season, WR5 fantasy value could become realistic in short order.
Save for an awful blown preseason blitz pickup, it was something of a buzz-free training camp for fifth-rounder Singleton. That's why his ADP never really advanced in even the deepest of formats. I still believe it should. There's a new Titans brain trust and coaching staff with zero allegiance to holdover, contract-expiring backs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, while an aging Pollard in particular could find himself imperiled on early downs by Singleton. Running backs always arrive and depart earlier than expected. The former could be true for Singleton, with the latter happening for Pollard.
With one of the league's oldest skill corps and most unsettled backfields, something is going to have to give for the Commandos. It could be third-round rookie Williams, who drew steady spring and summer hype and could see an immediate dose of snaps and hopefully targets from the slot. With Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs both on the wrong side of 30 and Diggs' 2025 Patriots success coming as a snap-counted player, it's not outside the realm of possibility Williams even spends some time in two-receiver sets.
